Automatic current-controlling device



PATENTED DEC. 8, 1903.

P. R. OWENS. AUTOMATIC CURRENT CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 13. 1903.

H I WI M W N0 MODEL.

mum/roe M A77'0HNEY W/ TA/ESSES c imnwz m Patented Decem er ii 1903.

PERCY R. Q WENS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATEC CURRENT" CGWTRQLMNG DEVICE SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 746,140, dated December 8, 1903. Application filed April 13,,1903. Serial No. 153,152. No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be itknown that I, PERCY R. OWENS, a citizen of the Unit-ed btates, residing at New York city, New York-county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Ourrent-Control ing Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

. My invention relates to automatic currentcontrolling devices for charging storage batteries; and it consists in various means whereby the charging of the storage battery is controlled, so that the potential of the current applied gradually" increases automatically and so that the battery when it is fully charged is automatically disconnected from the supply-circuit, and also in means for determining the time for the automatic interruption of the supply-circuit, and has for its object to provide a novel means for attaining: these ends. The following-is a description of an apparatus embodying myinvention, reference be-' ing had to the accompanying drawings, in Which-.-

Figure 1 represents an elevation of the apparatus with the battery shown diagrammatically. Fig. 2 represents a modification of one of the elements thereof. Fig. 3 represents, on a slightly-enlarged scale, a side elevation of one of the elements thereof, showing parts in section.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, A is the base on which the parts are mounted.

B C are the binding-posts to which theterminals of the supplycircuit are connected.

D E are the bindingmists to which the terminals of the storage battery F are connected when it is desired to charge the same.

G is a series of contact-plates corresponding to a graduated serics'of pressures. in Fig. 1 these plates are connected by resistances H, so as to form a rheostat.

I is a contact-arm, weighted at l and pi:

oted at J and bearing uponthe con "tots G.

This arm I is normally pressed downward a spring K, which acts to move the arm slowly against the opposition attorded by the dashpot L. The arm i has a se ment' Iii, having notches m, equal in number to the contactplates G. Against the segment Mbears a detent N, to whose arm at the point 0 a retractive spring P is attached. A solenoid-core Q is also attached to this arm at the point 0 and is acted upon by the solenoid R. One terminal of this solenoid is electrically connected to the arm Iof the point J. The other terminal of this solenoid is connected to the tionary contact S, with which the movable contact 8 of the circuit-breaker S engages.

T is a second stationary contact, with which the movable contact T of the circuit-breaker engages. The contacts andTai-o electrically connected by the cross-bar T and carried by an arm U, pivoted at the point-'20. Against the arm U a spring U' bears, normallytending to force the contacts S and '1" out of engagement with contacts S and 'l and the contact 11 out of engagement with contacts 12 and 13.

V is a magnetic detent pivoted at 2. and retracted by a spring V, so as to engage with a projection W upon the arm U.

X and X are two electromagnets, either of which when sntiiciently energized will act upon the detent V, so as to overcome the spring- V and draw the (letent outof engage ment with the projection W, permitting the arm U to be thrown outward by the spring U- The electromagnet X is interposed in the circuitwhich passes from the battery-terminal E to the solenoid R, the arm I, and contactplates G, the result being that if the current flowing to the battery Fis at any time excessive the magnet I will become so energized as to operate the detent V to release the arm U. he electromagnet X is interposed-in a circuit passing" from the stationary contact S to the terminal D, which is connected to the terminal (3. This circuit is normally'intcrrupted at the point Y, the part connected to the terminal of the electromagnet X being connected to a stationary contact 1, while the part connected to the terminal D is connected to a movable contact 2, carried by an armature 3, pivoted at the point 3 and retracted by a spring 4-:

5 is an clcctromagnehone terminal of which, (his connected with the battery terminal E, while the other terminal, 7, is connected with the rheostat 8, the arm 9 of which is electrically connected with the battery-terminal D through the terminal C and conductor 10.

The main terminal 0 and the batteryterminal D, being electrically connected by a conductor 10, in effect form but one terminal. The magnet 5 and the rheostat 8 are therefore connected in shunt across the batteryterminals D and E. The effect of this is that should the counter electromotive force of e X is so wound that when this happens it is sufficiently energizedto attract the magnetic detent V and release the arm U, interrupting the charging-circuit by interrupting the circuit at the contacts S S T T. The circuit between the contact 6 and the binding-post E is made and broken by the movable contact 11, carried by the arm U, the terminal 6 beingelectrically connected with the stationary contact 12 and the terminal E being electrically connected with the stationary contact 13, so that when the switch U is opened the electromagnet 5 is also deenergized. This permits the contacts 1 and 2 to be separated and denergizes the magnet X.

The purpose of the rheostat. 8 is to enable the resistance in the circuit containing the magnet 5 to be adjusted. It is a convenient means of adjusting the charging limit according to the temperature, the fact being that the resist-ance'otthe storage bat-terydecreases. with the temperature. In order, therefore, to have the battery fully charged before the automatic circuit-breaker operates, resistance is thrown into the circuit oftho magnet 51 by the rheostat 8 to make up for the decrease in resistance due to afall in the temperature and removed when the temperature of the battery rises.

In operating the device the storage battery to be charged is first/connected to the terminals D E. The contact-arm I is then moved upward until it engages the stop 2', at which time it rests upon the first of the contacts G corresponding to the lowest pressure. The circuit-breaker S is then closed, connecting the terminals S S and T T and also the contactsll, 12, and 13. This completes the main circuit B G I J R S S '1 E, battery F, and terminals D C, also completing the shunt-circuit D C, rheostat 8, magnet 5, contacts 11, 12, and 13, and terminal E. The charging of the battery then begins, the electromotive force impressed upon its terminals being that corresponding to the first member of the series of contacts G. As the counter electromotive force of the battery rises the current supplied to it and passing through the solenoid R is reduced in strength. When this current is reduced in strength to such an extent that the spring P overcomes the attraction of the solenoid R, the detentN is released from the first notch m in the segment M, permitting the spring K to force the arm I downward toward the next succeeding contact G. Upon reaching this contact thecounter electromotive force corresponding thereto is impressed upon the battery-terminals and the resultant current so energizes the solenoid R as to overcome the spring P and force the 'detent N into engagement with the next succeeding notch m upon the segment M. Th arm Iis then held in contact with the sec-oi contact until the counter electromotive force of the battery has increasedto such an extent that it reduces the current through the solenoid R to such an extent that the spring P again overcomes the pull due to the solenoid and acts to move the pawlN out. of engagement with the second notch in the segment M and permit the arm I to move until the third notch m is presented and engaged by the detent. This operation is continued until the arm I has moved over the entire series of.

contacts G-or until the battery F is fully charged. Whenever the battery F is fully charged, whether that be after the arm I-has passed over all the contacts of the series G or at any time prior thereto, the counter electromotive force of the battery R will have increased to such an extent as to energize the magnet 5 sufiiciently to enable it to attract the armature 3, so as to bring the contacts 1 and 2 into engagement. lVhenever this occurs, the magnet X is shunted across the main supply-circuit terminals B C and also the battery-terminals D E, with the result that it is energized and attracts the armature V, so as to release the armU, which then is moved ICC by the spring U, so as to break the supplycircuit to the battery and interrupt the circuit'through the magnet5 The interruption of the circuit through the magnet 5 permits the spring 4 to break th circuit of the magnet X at the points] and 2. Alli-he parts are thus out of circuit until it. is desired to charge another battery. When another batteryis placed in circuit, the arm I is raised and the circuitbreaker closed. The resistance of the circuit in which the magnet I is located is adjusted by the rheostat 8 to compensate for temperature changes or to determine the charging limit of any battery that may be connected in circuit, as heretofore explained. In case the current delivered to the battery is too strong the magnet X acts upon the detent V to release the arm U, which then in terrupts the various eircnits, as stated above. By using the auxiliary magnet 5 the detent V is not subject to the cumulative (*lfvctOfi the shunt and series magnets X X, except when the contacts 1 2 are in engagement and themagnetXenergized. The magnetXwhen obtain different pressures at the several contact plates -of the series of contacts G the contact-plates may be connected tosources of counter electromotive forces varying by the any contact-plate until tery connected so as to have gradually-increasingdesired amounts. I have showuithis-arrangement in Fig. 2, in which the contact-plates G are connected to bus-bars of different pressure, th'e bus-bar 20 having, for instance, a pressure of ninety volts and being connected to the first of the series of contact-plates G, the bus-ba'r21 having a pressure of, say, one hundred and twenty volts and connected to the last'of the series of contact-plates G, the intermediate bus-bars having gradually-vary- .ing pressures and being connected to respectiveintermedia'te contact-plates. 'In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, as well as that shown in 'Fig. 1, the contacts G have gradu ally-increasing pressures, due in one case to gradually-decreasing resistance and in the other case to connection with bus-bars.

My invention admits of various changes and modifications and the substitution of equivalent devices for elements shown, and .I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise form of apparatus shown, but regard as within myinvention devices in which such changes and substitutions may be embodied.

Whatl claim is 1. In combination a source of supply, a batto be charged, a series of contact-plates pressures, a contactdevice movingalong said contacts and means for mechanically engaging said contact device and retaining it on the counter electromotive force of the battery has reached a degree corresponding thereto, and then automatically moving it to the next contactplate. 2. In combination a source of supply, a bat-' tery to be charged, a series of contact-plates connected so as to have gradually-increasing pressures, a contact device moving along said contacts, an electromagnetic device in series with said battery, and a detent controlled thereby and mechanically engaging with said device to retain it on any contact .until the counter electromotive force has reached a degree corresponding thereto.

3. "In combinaton a source of supply, a battery to be charged, a series of contact-plates connected so as to have gradually-increasing pressures, a contact device moving along said contact-plates, an electromagnetimdevice in series with said battery, and a detent controlled thereby and engaging with said device to retain it on any contact until the counter electromotive force has reached a degree corresponding thereto and means for braking the movement of said device.

4. In combination a son me of supply, a battery to be charged, a series of contact-plates connected so as to have gradually-increasing pressures, a contact device moving along said contact-plates, means for mechanically engaging said contact ,device and retaining it on any plate until the couriter electromotive force reaches a degree corresponding thereto, and a circuit-breaker acting to automatically open the circuit in case the current supplied becomes abnormal.

5. In combination a source of supply, a batteryto be charged, a series of contact-plates connected so as to have gradually-increasin g pressures, a contact device moving along said contact-plates, a circuit-breaker in the supply-circuit, said circuit-breaker having a contact-arm, a spring normally tending to open the same,-and a detent, and means for releasing said detent, said means responding to either an abnormal current or an abnormal electromotive force.

6'. In combinationa source cuit therefor, a storage battery connec'te thereto, a circuit-breaker in said supply-cirf supply, a cir- 'cuit, a magnet in said supply-circuit acting to operate the breaker when the current is abnormal, a circuit in shunt to said battery and an electromagnet controlled thereby'and acting to operate said breaker when the current in said shunt reaches a certain point.

7. In combination a source ofsupply, a stor age battery, a circuit-breaker,having a nitnet in series with said battery and the sup" ply-circuit and acting to operate the breaker when the current is abnormahan electromag netic device in shunt with said battery a magnet controlled thereby to operate said circuitbreaker when the counter e'lectromotive force reaches a certain point, and a common detent acted upon by thetwo magnets.

8. In combination asource of supply, a stow age battery, a circui't breaker, having a magnet in series with said battery acting to oper ate the breaker when the current is abnorlnal, an electromagnetic device in shunt with said battery, a magnet controlled thereby to operate said circuit-breaker when the court ter electromotive force reaches a certain point, said circuit-breaker acting to interrupt the circuits through said electromagnets and electromagnetic device.

9. In combination asource of supply, a stor age battery, a circuit-breaker, having a magnet in series with said battery acting to operate the breaker when the current is abnormal, an electromagnetic device in shunt with said battery, a magnet controlled thereby to operate said circuit-breaker when the counter electrouotive force reaches a' certain point and means for modifying the action of said electromagnetic device to compensate for 'ariations in temperature.

PERCY R. OWENS.

Witnesses:

'ROBT. S. ALLYN,

L. Vsnansnn. 

